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1 John 1:9-10 (KJV) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned , we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

We ought not to deny our sins but rather to confess them before God. This opens the door for his forgiving and cleansing light to purify our hearts.

another word is Repent . If that is what you mean, then :
Acts 3:19 (KJV) Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;

Repent from the Greek translation metanoeo means a change of mind that results in a change of conduct.

Repentance is not merly sorrow. it involves a complete change of attitude regarding God and sin. Repentance does not arise in man himself , but is the result of God's mercy in leading man to it(Acts 5:31, Romans 2:4, 2 Timothy 2:25) thus repentance involves the very proccess of conversion that men are born again.

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natters, in 1 John 2:1-2 (KJV) My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiaion for our sins: and not of your only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

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<img src =/Helen2.gif>

Let's take a look at it from a human point of view (which is after all, what we are primarily stuck with...).

If, say, a teenager does knowing wrong -- a wrong which the parent is well aware of, then one of three things can happen.

1. The parent ignores it (thus giving quiet permission to the act). God does not ignore our wrongdoings, so this human response is out of the ballpark in terms of this thread.

2. The young man or woman voluntarily comes up to the parent and acknowledges wrongdoing and is sorry for it. At this point the relationship between the two is back on a good footing and although consequences and/or punishment may follow, the essential forgiveness, which was in the parent's heart always, has been extended, received, and life can move on.

3. The young man or woman refuses to come clean on a voluntary basis, and the parent cares too much to let the action(s) slide by. So the teen must be confronted, forced to be honest if at all possible, and punished -- not just for the act, but for the dishonesty about it itself.

Which of these scenarios do you think God prefers with us? Which do we prefer with God?

Confession and repentance actually have nothing to do with God's forgiving grace, but with our ability to open up and be able to receive that forgiving grace. Yes, all sins have been atoned for by Christ, -- ALL -- but a lot of good that does those who kick the whole thing right back in God's face!

So yes, confession and repentance are necessary for what might be called a smoother transition from yuck to holy, which is the Holy Spirit's job in our lives. Those who are open and obedient before the Lord, striving to keep their focus on HIM in their daily lives, will receive far less discipline and far more fellowship with God than those who refuse to acknowledge and repent of their sins. They will be led to a point of wanting to do that, hosever, if they are truly members of His family.

The only other point concerns those who are not His and therefore could care less about repenting unless it will get them something for the here and now for themselves. C.S Lewis put it well in one of his essays when he said that, in the long run, the human being will say to God, "Thy will be done," or God will say to the human being, "Thy will be done." The last, to say the least, is terrifying.

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Well-Known Member

Perhaps, I may pose another question: WHAT IS THE BASIS OF OUR FORGIVENESS--JESUS'S DEATH ON THE CROSS OR THE CONFESSION OF OUR SINS BY OUR LIPS?

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Obviously it is the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
But, when we fall out of His good favor we need "restoration" to fellowship also we are "cleansed" in a practical way when we are advanced in our sanctification.

For instance a young Christian is convicted concerning the use of tobacco after he/she is saved and quits.

When we judge ourselves and confess or acknowledge our sins we are restored to fellowship, avoid chastening and more clearly display the image of Christ.

1 corinthians 11:31-32
But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world. For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.

Galatians 6:1
Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.

Personally, I believe the forgiveness of our sins and our sanctification though completed in eternity has a place of application in the passage of time here on earth.

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<img src =/Helen2.gif>

Robert, forgiveness is actually a two-step process. The person who forgives and the one who needs that forgiveness both have a part in the process. God's part is completely finished -- it is what Jesus accomplished on the cross. All sins of men, past, present, and future (with the exception of the sin against the Holy Spirit which is mentioned later here) are atoned for. Period. When Jesus said "It is finished!" He meant it. The debt was paid in full.

But there is a second part to forgiveness. Our part. Think of it in human terms for a moment -- father and child. The child steals from the father. The father wants desperately for the relationship to be restored -- open and free and fun -- the way it used to be. But the kid refuses to admit he stole anything. He refuses to admit his guilt, much less apologize for it. The father has forgiveness in his heart. His part is done. He works with that kid and works with him, but to no avail. That kid is NOT going to admit or repent.

So while forgiveness is ready and waiting, the child refuses to open the door to it.

The act of confession and repentance to God opens the door for us to receive the forgiveness that was always there for us, due to Christ.

"Behold, I stand at the door and knock..."

Will we open the door or not? God will not force either Himself or His forgiveness on anyone. But both are here for us.

The sin against the Holy Ghost is to kick it back in His Face, so to speak. To refuse the truth that we know is true. This was the Pharisees saying Jesus was demonic, when they knew it wasn't true. This is the person of Romans 1 who suppresses the truth he knows is true, preferring the lie, and finally being turned over to it by God. If you refuse the truth, what else is left? Forgiveness belongs on the side of the truth -- God's side. Refuse God and you refuse forgiveness. And if you refuse it, well, then, you aren't forgiven in the completed sense of opening that door to what was there for you all along. But God has fully done His part.

Confession and repentance for the unbeliever open the door to salvation, when God leads all who open that door to Christ. For the believer, confession and repentance restore the open and loving mutuality between the believer and God. But in neither case is God's work lacking. He finished His work on the Cross.

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<img src =/Helen2.gif>

Su Wei, I think you might be misunderstanding me. If salvation were not of grace, then there is nothing for us at all. But from ancient times on there has been the ringing command, "Choose this day whom you will serve."

We do have a choice. We are not robots. We could do nothing to save ourselves in the slightest, but we do have the option of accepting or rejecting that salvation which has been accomplished for us. "Yes" and "No" are not acts -- they are responses. We are free to respond to that which was completely done for us.

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Rooster said "1 John 2:1-2" and hankD mentioned Hebrews 12:9. I don't see how either of these verses say are future sins are already forgiven. Hebrews 12:9 mentions neither sin nor forgiveness, but rather redemption. Redeemed people still sin.

Robertguwapo said "Are you saying that Jesus only died for our past and present?"

Well, that's what I'm thinking, yes.

Robertguwapo said "But what if there is a sin that we overlooked and unknowingly did not confess--will that unconfessed sin make us go to hell?"

No, for sinning does not take away your salvation. But that sin must still be dealt with.

Robertguwapo said "WHAT IS THE BASIS OF OUR FORGIVENESS--JESUS'S DEATH ON THE CROSS OR THE CONFESSION OF OUR SINS BY OUR LIPS?"

I hope you didn't intend that to be "yelling", but that's how it came across. To answer, the basis of our forgiveness is made possible by Jesus' death on the cross, and is obtained through repentance and confession. It is not an either/or, it is a combination. If it was just Jesus' death, all men's sins are forgiven whether they repent or not. If it was just repentance and confession, Jesus' death was unnecessary.

If our future sins are already forgiven, then the Lord's prayer would read "Thank you for already forgiving our trespasses, as we forgive those that trespass against us...".

When we pray for forgiveness, we pray for FORGIVENESS. Restoration comes through forgiveness.

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I should clarify something before someone jumps on my head: when Robertguwapo said "Are you saying that Jesus only died for our past and present?" and I responded "Well, that's what I'm thinking, yes.", I did not mean that Jesus didn't also die for future sins, but that the effect of the atonement does not apply to future sins until those sins are confessed and repented of.

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